Friends Stick by Each Other
by ShadowZaraki
Summary: Wally is abused at home. Each time he arrives at the Cave, he arrives with more bruises and more lies. Soon the lies pile up and the team gets suspicious. They want to know why he keeps coming back with bruises. But will they be in time to pull Wally out of the dark abyss?
1. Chapter 1

At home, the only thing he liked about his powers, was the fact that he could heal quickly. It meant that the bruises that his father gave were mostly gone by the time he went to the Cave. Though his father knew about how fast he could heal, he kept the beatings to places that Wally could easily conceal. Wally sighed and rubbed his green eyes. Of all the parents, he got an abusive dad and a mother who didn't care.

Wally opened his bedroom door and peered out. He eyed the kitchen, which was next to the bottom of the stairs. Its door was open and he could see the food that had been set out. His own stomach grumbled loudly, rudely reminding him that all he had today was a sandwich for breakfast. It was now five. He retracted his head back into his bedroom and sat down on his bed. Laying down on the red and yellow cover, he looked vacantly at the ceiling. The sounds from the TV downstairs lazily floated up and occasionally he could hear what the characters were saying. He didn't have to try very hard to picture his mother sitting in front on the screen, her red hair probably unbrushed.

The front door banged open and in stomped his dad. The fifteen year old groaned silently, not wanting his dad to hear him. His body still remembered the beating his father had given him from sighing at his return. His green eyes darted nervously at his school bag. Wally eyed the white slip of paper that was poking out of it slightly. On it was his grades for all of his subjects. He pleaded with every deity he had learnt in Religious Education that his father wouldn't ask for the paper.

"Wally, get your ungrateful ass down here," his father shouted up to him. "And bring that damn piece of paper."

Wally's heart fell to his stomach. He felt sick with dread. Rolling off the bed, he got his piece of paper and began to walk down the stairs. His eyes kept reading his music grade. The black B stared back at him. He had gotten 89%. He wondered if he could somehow persuade his dad that he was only one percent off getting an A. Highly unlikely. The rule was that he got all As and he wouldn't be beaten. His father broke the rule, beating him up for other, stupider reasons.

He finally walked into the living room, much too quickly for his liking. He handed the piece of paper to his dad, who snatched it of the Wally's hand. Wally glanced at his mother, pleading with his eyes for her to help him. As usual, she kept looking at the TV.

"You got a B in music," his father stated. Wally winced and looked down at the carpet.

"I got 89% and to get an A you need 90%. I was one off. I'll try harder after the holidays," Wally began his argument. As his father's hand came up to his face, he realised his mistake. Even though he had seen it coming and knew he could easily dodge it, he could actually run to the nearest city and do the shopping, he remained still. The force of the blow sent him to the floor. Stars burst across his vision as his head hit the wooded floor.

"How dare you back chat me! And to have the nerve to talk to me like that. Like I'm an idiot!" His father roared at him, kicking Wally as hard as he could in the stomach. Wally groaned and curled up, trying to protect himself. Rudolf stamped down on Wally's ankle, feeling the bone shift.

A foot to his right forearm took him by surprise and he unfurled himself slightly. His father bent down and grabbed his collar. He hefted Wally up on his feet and punched him again in the stomach. He directed one of his fists to Wally's left eye before dropping him to the floor again.

"God damn it. Why are you so pathetic? All I wanted was an intelligent boy. I wish I had Robin for a son, he would never disappoint me!" Rudolf sneered at Wally, walking off to the kitchen. Wally looked at his mother, begging her to help him. She sighed and finally looked at him.

"This is your own fault Wallace. You know he gets angry when you don't have good grades. He's trying his hardest to give you a good life, he wants you to have the best education. But if you don't try then it'll all be for nothing! I wish you would try harder," his mother told him. "But you're too busy with your stupid superhero friends, you don't bother with your school work."

Wally watched, from his position on the floor, as she left the room, taking away more of his hope. The smell of food wafted over him and his stomach grumbled loudly. He winced, wishing for something to eat. He turned his head slightly and just about managed to see his mother and father at the table eating food. They seemed happy, smiling and talking to each other. Wally felt his heart stop for a second. Maybe they would be happier with him out of the picture. Forever.

The stars crept across his vision again making him feel more disorientated. The blow to his head must have been worse than he had thought. He brought a shaking hand to the side of his head, feeling the lump that had already formed. His hand felt weak and he kept feeling dizzy. His hand fell to the floor with a thump as the world began to spin even more. Wally closed his eyes, trying to will away the spinning. Even with his eyes closed, the world kept spinning. Unable to keep a grip on consciousness, Wally slipped into darkness.

When he awoke, Wally noticed the world outside the window was dark. The TV was off for once and he couldn't see his parent's car in the drive way. He held his breath, listening for any sign of his parents. When nothing came back to him, he let out the breath he was holding and slumped back down on the floor. A dull vibrating noise caught his attention. Wally lifted his head up again and listened intently. It was coming from his room. It wasn't his phone, he didn't have one. Eyes widening, Wally realised it was his comm. He pushed himself up, his right arm bending at the elbow, unable to support his weight. He tried again, putting more weight on his less injured arm and managed to stand up. His whole body swapped from dizziness, and for a split second he thought he was about to fall down again. Once the dizziness had faded, he limped out of the room and up the stairs.

By the time he was upstairs, he was panting and the dizziness had yet to fade. He stumbled to his room, supporting himself by the wall. He managed to get to his desk and pick up his comm.

"Hey," Wally said, trying to speak in the upbeat way Kid Flash spoke.

"Dude where have you been? We've been trying to contact you for the last ten minutes!" Robin's voice filled his ear.

"Fastest kid my ass." Wally over heard Artemis' snide comment about him.

"Not helping Artemis," Aqualad told her. "Where have you been Wally? You did not turn up to training today."

"Yeah KF, why weren't you here?" Robin asked. "We have a mission now, are you coming?

"Yeah, I'll be there. Just give me a sec to put my costume on." Wally responded, walking over to his wardrobe and picking out a bright yellow costume. He quickly changed into it and walked over to the foot of his bed, going to grab to his shoes. As he passed the mirror, he got his first look at himself. His left eye was badly bruised, a black ring engulfing it. He had a bruised cheek from where his father had slapped him, fortunately his speed healing had managed to heal the hand mark. Wally pulled up his top and saw the bruises littered across his whole front, some older than others.

"So, you gonna tell us why you didn't respond?" Robin pried. Wally jumped, forgetting that he still had his comm in his ear.

"Yeah, I was having dinner with my parents. Mum doesn't like me having any superhero stuff at the table, so I take it out, sorry." Wally replied, happy that he had thought of a new excuse. He could probably use that quite a few more times, with his faster metabolism the team believed he had several meals a day. The whole team would accept it. Well except for Robin maybe.

"Hurry up Baywatch, we want to get the mission done," Artemis told him. Wally could hear the frustration in her voice. Wally realised with horror, he wouldn't be able to put anything on the conceal the black eye. It always took him several minutes to apply the make up and he didn't have the time. Sighing to himself, he put his goggles over his eyes, hoping they would cover it.

Walking downstairs, he managed to grab a sandwich from the fridge, eating it quickly. Wally walked out of the front door and locked it behind him. He turned and faced the direction Happy Harbor was and began to run. A smile overtook his face, finally being able to do something he liked.

* * *

Wally ran into the Cave, sliding to a halt in front of the team.

"Finally where have you been?" Artemis growled.

"Wally, what happened to your eye?" M'gann gasped upon seeing his eye.

"Aww, babe you're worried over me," Wally said, not really having the heart to keep up with the façade.

"Tch, please. I'm pretty sure anyone would ask that when a guy comes in with a black eye and bruised face!" Artemis retorted. Wally winced internally, he didn't think she would have picked up on the bruised face.

"Yes, Wally, what happened?" Aqualad asked, looking at Wally.

"It's really embarrassing," Wally began, wracking his brains to think of something.

"Tell us anyways," Kaldur gently commanded. Wally let of a dramatic sigh.

"I... I sortofaccidentallyranintoapole!" He said in a rush. The team looked at him puzzled, trying to understand what he had said. Robin burst out laughing, being the first to understand Wally.

"He ran into a pole!" Robin explained to everyone.

"Only he could do something like that!" Artemis said.

"Alright everyone. Lets get going on the mission." Kaldur said, leading them to M'gann's ship. Robin stayed behind as the rest followed him.

"Kid Flash," Robin used his full name, causing Wally to stop and look at him. "You okay?"

"Of course dude!" Wally answered, trying to convince his best friend he was okay.

"Well, just remember, you can talk to me about anything." Robin said. Wally smiled at him and turned on his heel, running to catch up with the rest of the team. _'Rob, if only I could tell you.'_ He thought sadly to himself, his father's words ringing in his ears. Wally didn't blame his father for saying that. Anyone would rather have Robin, a genius, as a son, than him, an irritating boy who couldn't keep his mouth shut. _'If only I could.'_


	2. Chapter 2

Wally looked out of the window of M'gann's, watching the world zoom by. The others were talking to each other, Aqualad briefing them on who the criminal was, their powers. Wally had long since tuned them out. He was thinking of the homework he had to do later that night. Most of his teachers were kind enough not to set any homework for the holiday, but some evil ones like Mrs Smith had set boring homework.

Wally was looking forward to the holiday. Less people staring and asking about his bruises, less people to lie to. Though he did it so often, Wally hated lying. Even now, after eight years of doing it, the words still made him sick. Of course the holiday did have its bad sides. A whole week with his parents, from dawn till dusk. With him being on holiday, Wally knew his father was going to hit him harder and more, knowing that Wally would have healed mostly by the time he would go back to school. Wally had begun an argument, wanting to persuade his aunt Iris to let him stay over. It would mean that Flash and Kid Flash would be able to do more together and he will have more time to practise with his speed.

A not-so-gentle nudge from Artemis brought him out of his thoughts.

"Yes?" He asked, a tad too harsh. He regretted it the moment he saw the look of surprise in the blonde archer's eyes. And ... was that alarm?

"Hey, don't get so moody at me. I just wanted to see if you were okay!" Artemis snapped. Superboy looked over his shoulder at them, raising an eyebrow.

"I know you're an idiot but I've seen how fast you can react. Your reflexes are probably the fastest in the whole group. They're probably faster than Robin's and that's saying something! So I want to know how you ran into a pole!" Artemis whispered, not wanting to gain anymore attention. Wally sighed, he really didn't want to go through this again. His head was hurting again and the dizziness had begun to return.

"Look, you don't understand. Yes, my reflexes are fast, but no way are they as fast as Robin's. When I'm running fast, everything's a blur. I can't do sudden halts like Flash. If I see something in my way, then I have to change the direction I'm running in to avoid it. I wasn't paying attention when I ran here, so by the time I saw the pole, it was too late to stop." Wally explained. He had run into poles enough times to sound confident, yet the words still made acid trickle down his throat.

Artemis opened her mouth, about to speak, when Aqualad interrupted her.

"We are here." His calm words carried around the now parked ship. Artemis threw Wally a look that told him that the discussion was far from over. She undid her belt and walked out of the ship, Wally following her.

The jungle they were in was massive. Animals flashed in front of Wally's eyes, his brain giving him their scientific names. The jungle was alive with all the animals, and for a few seconds the noise was unbearable, especially for Superboy's super hearing. They gradually got used to the noise, it beginning to fade in volume. M'gann set up a telepathic link. In their heads, Aqualad told them to group up in threes. Wally zipped over to M'gann.

"Bagsy being with you beautiful," He told her, giving her a half smile.

"Sorry Kid, but M'gann, Superboy and I will be one team. You, Robin and Artemis will be the other team." Aqualad informed him. Wally tried not to let his emotions reach his face. He was stuck with the two post observant people of the whole team. Just his luck.

Robin touched a button on his left gauntlet, and a map appeared above his wrist.

"We are here. The last time Tempest was spotted was here," Robin pointed at a spot next to a wide lake. "Our team will act as a decoy, distracting Tempest until M'gann, Superboy and Aqualad are in place. They will attack from his back, and take him out."

The team nodded their understanding and went in opposite directions. Wally walked next to the two non-powered heroes, wanting badly just to run. He looked down at his stealth costume. He loathed the colour black. It reminded him of betrayal and hurt, of hope lost. It reminded Wally of the bruises his father gave to him.

"Oi, Baywatch, get your head out of the clouds, we're almost here." Artemis snapped at him. Wally looked at her and stuck his tongue out at the archer. She raised an eyebrow at his childish behaviour.

"Alright you two! KF, you're gonna go first, hit him fast and hard. You're gonna be the closest to him, so stay on your guard. Keep Tempest away from the water, his powers grant him the ability to create powerful windy storms, hence his name. Artemis, you're gonna stay here, use your long distance bow to get an advantage. I'll be in the middle," Robin explained. He nodded at Wally and he zoomed out of the shrubbery.

Within seconds Wally saw Tempest. Tempest still hadn't seen him yet. Wally sped up, and drew his hand back. With all him might, he threw his fist forward, catching Tempest in the middle of his navy blue back. Tempest flew into the jungle, the force of the hit sending him off his feet. Wally slowed down, panting. He rested his hands on his knees as black spots began to appear in his vision.

"What's going on with Kid?" Artemis asked Robin, her voice tinged with worry.

"I.. I don't know, he's never been out of breath after such a short sprint," Robin replied, his masked eyes wider than normal. Suddenly Tempest crashed out of the jungle and back into the clearing. Wally, who was still panting, only noticed Tempest when he was a foot away. Realising he didn't have enough time to escape, he threw his hand up to cover his face and stiffened his body, waiting for the blow. A whistling sound flew above him and there was a sudden explosion. Looking up, Wally saw Artemis standing up, her bow in her hand.

"KF, what happened?" Robin asked, standing next to him. He placed a black gloved hand on Wally's shoulder, looking down on his friend with concern.

"It's nothing really, stop worrying," Wally told him. Robin raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak again. With a roar, Tempest charged at them. Robin summersaulted backwards, out of harms way. Wally, using his speed, sprinted past Tempest. He then ran back at him, but Tempest turned and grabbed him. Tempest spun round, using Kid Flash's momentum and threw him into Robin. Robin leapt of the way just in time.

"Dude are you okay? You're really slow," Robin asked, Artemis covering them with her arrows.

"Yeah, I'm just hungry," Wally replied.

"But you had dinner just twenty minutes ago. That was why you were so late," Robin said, eyebrows furrowing. Wally knew Robin had remembered what he had said earlier and what he had said just now contradicted that statement. Wally also knew he was going to be in big trouble, Robin was his best friend and he was always looking out for him, Robin was going to demand an answer, an answer Wally wasn't sure he could give.

"Hey, are you going to stay there and make me do all the work or what?" Artemis yelled at them. The two boys stood. Robin began to open his mouth. Wally, fearing what he was about to say, sprinted off. He ran towards Tempest and cannon balled him. The impact sent the villain back several metres, Wally landed on the ground, in a crouching position. Wally pushed off by his fingers and sprinted at him again, leaping at the last moment, and landing his feet on the grey clouds that were on Tempest's chest. He bent his legs and pushed off, the momentum of his sprint and his kick sending the dark blue man even further away.

_'Everyone, we are in position. We've decided that Superboy will be the one to attack first. If you keep him busy for long enough, Superboy will be able to defeat him in one go!'_ M'gann told them in their minds.

_'Alright then. KF, you're closest to him, keep him distracted for a few more seconds,_' Robin told Wally.

Tempest stood up from the crater that he had made and stretched out his hands, towards the water. The blue liquid began to move, gaining speed. It rose up, spinning in circles. Wally and Robin watched as it began to grow up, spinning even more rapidly. Within mere moments it had become a massive hurricane.

"KF, cancel it out!" Robin ordered. Wally began to run in circles, running in the opposite direction of the swirling water, creating a tornado. Still running around, he crashed the air into the water. As he did another lap at the base of the spinning air, he saw Superboy in the air, gravity pulling him down. Wally calculated where he would land and saw it was near to Tempest. Wally turned his attention back on the hurricane, spinning the air faster than the water. He could tell that the hurricane was taking up all of Tempest's attention. Pushing himself to run faster, the hurricane began to recede. Wally grinned to himself, making sure that Tempest was distracted. He heard a crash and then the hurricane stopped spinning. Wally slowed down slightly then took of towards the shore off the lake.

He slowed to a stop in front of Superboy. Tempest was knocked out cold, laying by his feet.

"Well done Supes!" Wally congratulated. The dizziness had returned tenfold, his running around in circles not helping. M'gann de-camouflaged herself and walked over to the two, Aqualad a short distance behind her. Wally looked at his right, seeing Artemis and Robin talking. Using his googles, he zoomed in on them. They both looked worried for some reason, and kept looking in his direction. Robin met his eyes for a second and Wally knew he was busted. Robin turned to Artemis and said something, then walked off. Wally knew, with some dread, they were talking about him. Most likely about his poor performance.

"Well done Kid, that was good work, both distracting Tempest and cancelling the hurricane out," Aqualad praised Wally. Wally smiled his thanks. His stomach rumbled loudly, drawing the attention of Superboy.

"Hehe, I'm just a tad hungry. Running sure does take a lot of energy," Wally explained to him, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"You have an energy bar in your right compartment." Superboy told him.

"Yeah, I was in a rush, kinda forgot to put a bar in," Wally informed told him. In actual fact he had ate all of the bars from all of his suits yesterday, when his father had told him he wasn't having any dinner, as a punishment for his messy bedroom. Wally knew his room was much more tidier than any other boy's room he had ever gone to.

Superboy slid his hand into one of his trouser pockets. Bringing his hand out, an energy bar was nested inside his closed fist. Wally's face lit up like a Christmas tree as Connor gave it to him.

"Really? Thanks so much!" Wally exclaimed, taking a massive bite of it. He closed his eyes in bliss and quickly devoured the whole bar, much to the amusement of Connor. By the time Robin and Artemis had joined them, M'gann's bio-ship had flown over to their new location. Wally didn't want to be anywhere near the two, having a feeling they would call him out for his lies. The moment the ship door was open, he zoomed in and jumped onto the seat closest to the centre.

"You seem to be in a rush," M'gann said sweetly.

"I just want to go home and sleep," Wally told her truthfully, adding a wink in there. "You can come and join me if you want."

M'gann laughed slightly and politely declined. Superboy sat next to him, on his right. Wally sighed in relief internally, it meant that neither Robin or Artemis could sit next to him. His secret was safe for a little while longer. Artemis, Robin and Aqualad trickled slowly in. Once she was sure everyone had their seat belts on, M'gann ordered the ship to fly. The ship soared over the jungle tops and into the night sky.

Thirty minutes later, the cave doors came into view. The metal doors slide open and M'gann carefully landed the plane. Once the ship was stationary, Wally jumped out of his seat and ran out of the ship. He stopped at the kitchen and grabbed the container of cookies. He guzzled them down then ran to the briefing room. Batman was already waiting for them there. Batman raised an eyebrow at Wally's appearance, wondering where the rest of the team was. The sound of their voices echoed into the room and soon they appeared as well. They walked up to Wally and stood in a line in front of him.

"Well," Batman began. Aqualad stepped forward and began to debrief him. Once he had explained everything that happened, Batman nodded. "You lot did good. It's good to see that you are using different tactics, and changing the person who attacks the villain the most. You are dismissed."

The team all walked away, into the living room. The big TV was turned on, and the group began to sit down on the green sofa. Wally, however, didn't. He returned the plastic container back to the kitchen and the walked to the zeta-tube.

"Wally where are you going?" Robin asked, noticing him at the door way.

"I'm going home, I'm tired." A real yawn ended the sentence. Wally knew that Robin knew the difference between a fake yawn and a real yawn. The real yawn added to his favour

"But you can sleep in your bedroom in the cave," M'gann told him. "That way you can still watch some of the movie with us and then go to bed."

"I really would love to, but Mum made a really big dinner for when I get home after the mission. I don't want her to feel disappointed that I didn't eat it," Wally lied. He silently scoffed at the idea. His mother would never do anything like that.

"Oh, then you have to go. I know how it feels when you put so much effort into making something and people can't eat it," M'gann told him, remembering all the failed attempts at cookies. Wally smiled her.

"Thanks babe," He told her, then typed in the destination he wanted to go to. The automatic voice read out his destination and his designation. Wally was surrounded by the bright white light then disappeared.

"Something is wrong with him," Robin stated when he was sure he had left. At his friends' puzzled looks he explained further. "He was out of breath when he had ran less than 30 metres. Then he said that the reason he was late was because he had had dinner with his parents, yet when he explained why he was out of breath after the 30 metre dash, he said he was just hungry. He's lying."

"Then there's the fact he came in here with a black eye and bruised face. Wally said he ran into a pole, but no way is that true. He may be an idiot, but he can't _that_ stupid. He has to be hiding something." Artemis added.

Superboy opened his mouth then closed it. He did it again, then looked away.

"What is it Connor?" M'gann gently pried.

"Well, it's just that he didn't have an energy bar in his compartment. After that mission where he didn't have food for more than 30 hours, he always made sure that he had food on him; we all made sure he had food with him. But today he didn't have any food," Superboy told them. "He said he was too much in a rush to grab a bar, but I don't think it would take long to get a bar, even if you don't have super speed."

"I agree with Robin. With all this new information, it is clear that something is wrong with our friend. Artemis' and Connor's points seem to further it. Whatever it is, I am sure Wally will tell us if it is serious. I think it is best that we do not force it out of him. If he wants to tell us then it will be his decision, we want him to trust us. However, we will take action if we believe it to serious. Agreed?" Aqualad told the team. They nodded.

* * *

Wally walked out of the church doors. It had been abandoned for many years, no one ever came near here, so it was a good place to put the zeta-beam. The garden was over grown, weeds splitting the pavement. Wally wasn't sure how many people from the Justice League actually used this Zeta-beam. Seeing as it was in Central City, the only two superheroes who lived and worked in the city, were Flash and Kid Flash, who could just run to the city. Wally liked to think that he was the only one he knew about it, though Batman would know and all who made and installed the zeta-beams.

Sighing, he walked out of the plot of land and ran back to his house. It had been a bad day, but a good night. He wasn't sure what the time was, somewhere around 9:30 he guessed. Walking in through the door, his cheery mood dropped. His father was waiting for him at the foot of the steps. Next to his feet were several bottles of alcohol. That was a bad sign, his dad never held back when he was drunk.

"Where have you been young man?" He growled. Wally swallowed and didn't answer, afraid that he would just make it worst. His dad jumped to his feet and staggered to him. Rudolph entered Wally's personally space and Wally inwardly winced at the smell of alcohol on his father's breath.

"You went out without telling us. Imagine how worried your mother was. You could have at least leave us a note!" Rudolph shouted at Wally. Wally didn't believe what he said to be true, but didn't dare contradict him.

In one of his hands, Rudolph held an empty glass bottle. He brought his hand up, and smashed it against Wally's shoulder, breaking the bottle. He changed his grip on the bottle and leered at Wally.

"You deserve to be punished." Rudolph told his son, the sharp point of the glass bottle pointed towards Wally. Wally looked at him, fear in his green eyes. His father had never cut him with a sharp object. Wally always thought that his father would never do that. As his father advanced towards him, Wally began to think that his father was going to step over another line. He closed his eyes, the last thing he saw was his father's raised hand, the glass point, pointing at him.


	3. Chapter 3

Wally kept his eyes closed. He didn't want to see his father stab him. If he saw him, then Wally knew he would lose all hope. Wally clenched his eyes, his brain taking him to a different place, to a time where they were all happy.

_Wally ran into the living room. His dad was sitting on the sofa watching the football. Wally ran up to him, a smiled stretched from one cheek to the other, crinkling his freckles in a cute way. His vibrant red hair stuck out if all directions and his eyes held so much life._

_"Daddy! Daddy! Look, I got one hundred percent on a paper that a fourteen year old would do!" A seven year old Wally told his dad. Wally thrust the piece of paper to his father. Rudolf gently took the white paper out of his son's hands. His eyes quickly scanned through it, drawing to the red '100%!' that was circled at the bottom. A massive grin broke out of his face._

_"Well done son!" Rudolf praised, leaning down and picking up his son. Rudolf held him in his arms, spinning him around in circles in the living room. Wally's laughter filled the room, his father's deeper chuckles following. A tired woman walked into the room. Looking at the father and son that looked so similar, a smile broke out of her face. Even though she was tired, the sight brought a smile to her face. Her two boys looked so happy._

_"What's the occasion that's got you acting like a pair of clowns?" She asked lovingly. Rudolf flashed her a smile, setting Wally down onto the floor. Wally swayed, before running towards her, veering off path slightly._

_"I did a science paper that a fourteen year old would do, and I got 50 out of 50!" Wally exclaimed. His mother looked at his in astonishment, her hand going up to her chest. A smile soon broke out and she bent down, pulling little Wally into a hug._

"_Wow! What a clever son I've got!" She exclaimed. Wally smiled, beaming from the praises. Rudolf took Wally by the shoulder, steering him out of the door._

_"Lets play some soccer," Rudolf said. Wally grinned and ran into the garden, getting the battered ball. He kicked it to his father, who stopped it and kick it back. His mother looked on, by the kitchen window. Half an hour later, when both males were sweaty and thirsty, his mother came out, carrying a tray with two cups of water in them. Rudolf took them and gave one to Wally. He wrapped an arm around Mary, bringing her closer to him. Rudolf leant in and gave his wife a kiss. Wally, being the kid he was, 'ewww'ed is disgust, making his parents laugh._

Wally was jerked out of his memories as the sharp point came down into his stomach. Rudolf pulled the glass bottle out then smashed it back into Wally, higher this time. The point of the bottle hit Wally's xiphoid process. For few seconds, the point stayed there, the bone plate stopping the point. Rudolf's eyes flashed, and with new strength, plunged the point through the bone. Wally slumped over, the blood pouring out of the two wounds. He looked up at his father with wide, shocked eyes. Rudolf jerked his arm back, pulling the point out of the bone. The point came out of Wally's chest, covered in blood.

Wally fell to the ground, not registering the pain in his knees. He kept looking at his father, shaking from the pain. He looked down at his chest. The white circle had turned red, blending in with the red lightning strike. The blood began to spread around the fabric, turning the yellow completely red. Soon the pain became unbearable and Wally passed out in the hall, his blood beginning to pool around his broken body. Rudolf looked down at his son. He kicked him once in the stomach, right where he had stabbed him. When Wally didn't reply, he kicked him harder.

"Wally. Get up! Stop playing around. Get up you worthless brat!" Rudolf shouted at him. When Wally didn't stir, Rudolf began to panic, kicking his son with renewed strength. Rudolf heard a distinct crack, as a few of Wally's ribs cracked. Rudolf staggered back, his eyes wide. He licked his dry lips, fear beginning to turn his eyes darker. Turning on his heel, he stormed out of the house, into the garage and sat in the car, driving away.

Wally lay there, blood pooling around him, staining the beige rug a rusty red. Tears streaked down his pale cheeks, his freckles clashing with his cheeks. His breathing was shaky and unstable. Soon Wally began to feel numb, floating above the pain. Wally welcomed the numbness, wanting desperately to get away from it. He let the darkness wash all of his senses, the noises around him blurring into nothing. Wally let himself smile. Finally. Finally he would be away from the pain.


	4. Chapter 4

The first thing Wally felt was the pain. It was awful, it seeped into every pore of him, every part of his essence was on fire from the never ending pain. It obliterated him, tore him apart only to pull his shredded parts back again, this cyclical cycle never ending. With much effort, Wally pried open his eyes. For several minutes, the white blinded him. Wally blinked several times, trying to regain focus. The whiteness around him caused his heart to stop beating. _Was this a hospital?_ The thought terrified Wally. If he was in hospital, then they would ask how he got the injuries. The authorities would get suspicious and would eventually find out it was his father. Fear bubbled in his chest. They would take his father away, driving the dagger further between his family, splitting it apart even more.

Wally's eyes began to focus. A ginger head slowly came into shape. Squinting, Wally realised it was his mother. Looking further around, he noticed he was in the bathroom, and not in a hospital. His chest felt light with relief and his body slumped slightly. A stinging sensation in his chest brought him back to the reality he had managed to escape for a few brief seconds.

Wally made his head lower, taking in his chest. His mother had managed to get rid of his top half of his costume, and was wrapping white bandages across his torso. There was a thick white pad that covered both of his stabs, blood already soaking through it. Wally looked into his mother's eyes. His jade eyes, which he inherited from his mother, pleaded with her. It was an attempt to get her to snap out of this state of mind. Wally begged her silently to take him to the hospital and file a report against his father. Mary looked at him for a split second, before concentrating back on the bandage.

Wally felt all the strength drain out of his body. With dull, lifeless eyes, he stared at the wall, resting his head on the toilet rug. He was dimly aware of the cold tiles pressing against his bare back, but didn't give it much notice. He too busy trying to desperately hold the tears at bay. _Big boys don't cry! Only faggots cry!_ His father's image flashed across his mind. He remembered those beatings. His father would beat him and if Wally cried, Rudolf would do it again, only harder.

His mother tied the bandage, cutting off the bit she hadn't used. She looked everywhere except Wally.

"Wally, why? Why must you do this? Stop provoking your father," Mary told her son. Wally noted her eyes shone differently, no longer cloudy. Most likely because she had done something she knew how to do. Something that she used to do before it all went wrong.

Mary stood up, packing the items methodically back into the first aid kit. She cleaned her hands, and threw away all the bloodied towels, her nurse training kicking in. She spared one last glance at the boy laying at her feet, then walked out of the bathroom, down the stairs, towards the family room. She picked the remote off the glass table and turned the T.V on, clicking onto her favourite channel. Within seconds she was immersed with the fake reality, completely forgetting about the boy in the bathroom above her, bleeding from the injuries her own husband had given him.

Wally looked through the window, at the star lit sky. His whole body felt heavy. He knew the dangers. He had lost a lot of blood and even if he had had a full meal, he would still be in a critical condition. He tried to forget about food, but his stomach still rumbled at the aspect of it. His eye lids grew heavy and Wally began to fight to keep them open. He knew the risks. His body was probably going into shock. If he fell asleep, there was a good chance he would never wake up. Wally bit his lower lip, clenching his eyes shut as another wave of pain hit him. His healing factor was beginning to kick in, sewing the torn flesh together. That still didn't mean it didn't hurt. '_Flash wouldn't feel the pain. He's so much faster than me, he wouldn't even know he's been stabbed twice. Hell, he isn't weak enough to get stabbed in the first place.'_ Wally thought bitterly._'I'm useless! I'm just slowing Uncle Barry down, no wonder he's trying his hardest to avoid me. He's embarrassed to call me his side kick. I would do the whole world a good thing by dying.'_ Wally stopped resisting the urge to sleep, letting its silky hands pull his into the darkness and believing its whispers on how he won't feel a thing anymore.

* * *

"Barry!" Iris scolded her husband, smacking his hand away from the cookies. He whined, shaking his hand. Iris rolled her eyes, smiling at her husband's childish antics. "Those are for Wally."

"Oh, come on Iris, lemme make sure they're perfect for Wally!" Barry tried to persuade his wife. Iris just folded her arms, raising an eyebrow. He sighed in defeat, his broad shoulders drooping slightly. Iris laughed at him, shooing him out of the kitchen.

"Get changed! You have patrol with Wally in a few more minutes," Iris gently reminded Barry.

"I'm the fastest man in the world, I'm not going to be late." Barry smirked. Iris sighed, face palming slightly. Barry smiled, pulling her into his strong arms and kissing her.

"Barry! Go!" Iris told her, laughing the entire time. With the mission accomplished (to make his lovely wife of five months laugh) Barry zoomed up to his bathroom, closed all the blinds, then changed into the Flash. He ran down the stairs and into the cosy kitchen. Iris placed the last cookie in the plastic tub and placed the blue lid on it. She handed it to him.

"This is for Wally. You don't get any, unless Wally offers you one," Iris sternly told him.

"But what if I get hungry on the way to his house?" Barry whined.

"Barry, I want you to spend more time with him! Yeah I know you're scared you're gonna blab to him about it, but you keep avoiding him, constantly! Spend more time with him, he's probably thinking you don't need him anymore," Iris told him, growing serious. Barry sighed and nodded. He knelt down, making himself the height of Iris' belly. He placed his hand on her stomach, a smile stretching his face.

"I want you to be a surprise for Wally! Now don't cause your mummy any grief while I'm gone, you got that?" Barry spoke into Iris' stomach. Iris laughed, and slapped him away.

"The baby is only two months old, it's not gonna give me any grief," she told him. The clock on the wall struck nine AM. "Now go and patrol Central City with Wally. And spend some time with him."

Barry threw her a smile, then ran out of his house, speeding over to where Wally lived. He thought about how he was going to tell Wally, how happy Wally was going to be. Barry grinned, knowing it was going to be a great day.


	5. Chapter 5

Wally woke up for the second time. He brought his hands up to rub the sleep out of his green eyes, wincing at the burn that raced from his shoulder down to his chest. Once he had given his eyes a good rub, he left them, letting them slowly refocus. The whiteness of the bathroom blinded him, everything blurring together. Wally sighed in relief, his fears of waking up in a hospital slowly receding. The sound of the T.V wafted up and into his ears. Wally felt a pang of despair, his father had never gone this far. Mary had to use her nurse skills to bandage him up and then she goes back to watching the T.V.

Wally decided not to let that bother him. He got up slowly, his muscles aching from the position he had slept in. Wally stood in front of the mirror and looked at his torso with lifeless eyes. His hands came up to the knot and slowly undid it. Once the knot was undone, he began to unwrap the white material, passing it from hand to hand. Once the last bit of it slipped off, Wally looked at what his father had done to him. Though small, the wounds were ugly to behold. Wally's speed healing had managed to heal them to some extent. Now he was left with two angry looking red scars that had risen across his chest. Wally traced the scars carefully with his finger, feeling the shiny skin tissue. He knew this was going to take a lot longer to heal, knowing the only food he'll get would be outside the house his lived in. Wally refused to call the place he lived in a home. In his opinion a home was a place that was filled with love and care, not of pain and abuse.

Wally turned away from the mirror and turned the shower on, putting it on cold. He had dealt with enough cuts to know it was less painful to wash in cold water than hot. He stuck his hand in, waiting for a right temperature. Once he got the perfect temperature, his hand retreated. Wally pulled off his trousers and kicked off his boots. Knowing he couldn't bend down without either causing a lot of pain to himself or opening the wounds again, he placed one foot on the toilet seat and took off his sock, repeating the process on the other foot.

Once undressed, Wally walked under the water, closing the glass door behind him. He hadn't locked the door, but using predictive algorithms, knew his father was most likely still in a bar, or passed out in the house. His mother hardly ever came upstairs anymore. The reminder was too painful.

Wally never took long in the shower, most of the time because it was painful. He grabbed the soap and began to massage it gently onto him, taking care around his two new scars. He quickly washed it off, cupping his hands under the spray of water then gently letting it flow onto his chest, taking the spuds with it. He turned off the water and walked out, grabbing a towel. He wiped down his body, taking care around the healing parts of his body. He didn't want to get blood on the towel.

Wrapping the towel around his waist, Wally shuffled out of the bathroom, taking all of his costume. He shuffled into his room and collapsed onto his bed, wetting the front covers slightly. He breathed deeply, his head in the covers. Wally sighed and turned his head, looking at the clock. He bolted up in alarm, a small cry of pain leaving his lips. It was five to nine. Wally had five minutes to get ready for his patrols with Barry. Wally jumped up and scrambled to his wardrobe, grabbing the first costume his hand found. He hastily pulled it on, jumping about to try and keep his balance. He ran to his sock drawer and found one green sock. Searching frantically, he couldn't find a matching sock, and so grabbed the next one he found. He sat down on his bed and brought his leg up to his other knee, resting it on his thigh. He slowly put the sock on, trying not to lean as much. He put the second sock on and stood up.

A dinging noise came from the door. Wally's eyes widened as he tried to locate his running boots, specially designed not to wear from super speed. The door bell rang again but this time someone stood up to get it.

"What do you want?" Rudolf snapped at the man standing on his door way. When he realised it was the Flash, he made a small noise of surprise and tried to back pedal. "Oh it's you, I thought it one of those people who try to sell you things."

Barry smiled at the weak joke. He had never liked Rudolf. He remembered a time when Wally had come over with a massive bruise on his eye. Wally had insisted it was from play fighting with another kid his age, but Barry was a forensic scientist and knew an eight year olds fist was not that big. Yet he hadn't pressed, seeing as wally shrunk in on himself when Barry had tried to question it. He had dealt with a few abuse cases and normally the abuser also abused other members of the family. Barry had never seen a bruise on Mary and had let it go. He did however, never let his guard down when he was close to Rudolf. Something was always screaming at him not to.

"Yeah, I'm just here for Wally," Barry told him, shifting the plastic tub from under his armpit to hold in both hands.

"Oh, okay. He's upstairs, probably brushing his teeth. He did eat a lot for breakfast," Rudolf told him. "I'll go get him."

Rudolf walked back into the house and up the stairs. Wally, who had been listening to the conversation whilst finding his missing boots, quickly zipped into the bathroom. Underneath the sink, Wally saw his missing boots. He grinned at them, putting them on quickly. He picked up a tooth brush and squeezed some toothpaste onto it. He began to brush his teeth just as his father made it to the landing. Rudolf walked into the bathroom.

"Barry is here," Rudolf growled. "Behave yourself around him."

Wally nodded, fear beginning to creep back into his eyes. Rudolf sent him one last glare, then walked downstairs back to Barry.

"He's coming," Rudolf told him.

Wally ran down the stairs, at speed that normal kids could do. His face lit up when he saw Barry, then fell slightly, knowing Barry had been ignoring him slightly.

"Bye mum, bye dad!" Wally called out to his parents and walked out of the door.

"Here, Iris made these for you," Barry told him, handing him the box of cookies. Wally's eyes lit up and he began to drool. He snatched the box out of Barry's hands and began to eat them, not stopping for a breath. Within a minute all forty cookies were gone. Barry looked at him in surprise.

"Wow Wally! How can you eat that after you've had a big breakfast?" Barry asked, surprise and mirth in his voice. Wally shrugged, grinning sheepishly.

"Alright, lets go!" Barry told him, running out of the West's drive. Wally followed him, unaware of the angry set of brown eyes that had been spying on him.

"So Squirt, where do you wanna go?" Barry asked, running next to his nephew. Standing a few feet taller him, Barry noticed Wally's pale complexion.

"Hey, are you okay? You look pale," Barry asked, skidding to a halt.

"I'm fine Flash, nothing to worry about," Wally told him, the acid churning in his stomach.

"Wally, you are getting enough to eat, right? You know the dangers of not having enough food, especially with your metabolism. We don't want to have a rerun of Iowa," Barry told Wally, concern lacing his voice. Wally brushed Barry's hand off his shoulder, pretending it was because he wanted to look cool, and not because Barry's hand was pressing right on a bruise that was extremely sensitive.

"I'm fine Uncle B," Wally used Barry's nickname, wanting to convince him as soon as possible so he could stop with all the lying. "Last one at the ice cream store pays!"

Wally zoomed off in a blur of red and yellow. Barry laughed at his retreating back and began to run after him. He made sure he came last, he knew that Wally didn't have much money. Rudolf and Mary were poor, partly because Mary had lost her job and partly from the cost of feeding a speedster. Both Barry and Bruce Wayne had offered to pay the West family the money that Wally spent on food, but the family had politely declined, saying they weren't a charity case. With only one parent working, with lousy pay, Wally didn't get much pocket money. Wally hadn't inherited much from his parents personality wise, but the one of the things he had inherited was his honour. If Wally said he was going to do something, he would do it, no matter how long it would take him. His stubbornness meant that if he had lost the race, he would pay with money he didn't have.

Barry shook his head and slowed down, strolling into the park. He scanned round the park and saw Kid Flash hopping impatiently from one foot to the other, waiting for him. Barry, being the jerk he was, ambled towards the ice cream parlour, stopping for autographs and signing bits of material from the civilians. Once he had finished, he made his way to Wally, who was clearly glaring at him. Barry smiled at him, aggravating him further. Wally 'humph'ed and turned his back on Barry, playing the annoying, moody teenager. The smile slipped off Barry's face when he took in the sight of Wally's ribs protruding slightly from his tight costume. Barry worriedly scanned the rest of Wally's body, and realised he had lost weight. Again. Barry sped up to the ginger teen. He wasn't sure how he was going to talk about this to Wally.

"Finally! What happened, did another lightning bolt strike you and sprayed you with more chemicals? And then lemme guess, you lost your speed?" Wally asked him, sarcasm dripping on his words. Barry laughed and shook his head. He turned to the menu and ordered the biggest ice cream that there was. He looked at Wally, wondering if Wally would take the bait. Wally looked at the menu, glancing at Barry and the menu. Barry noticed Wally kept flicking from the front of the menu to the back, from cheapest and smallest, to most expensive and biggest. He seemed nervous.

"Wally," Barry began softly. "You can have whatever you want, no matter the cost."

Wally still looked unconvinced. Barry sighed, and ordered the same ice cream again. Wally opened his mouth to protest, but Barry put up his hand, silencing him.

"Kid, it's fine. Think of it as a well done present from the last mission. Batman filled me in, your quick thinking helped make sure the mission was a success," Barry informed him. Wally let his shoulders sag slightly, showing he had given in. Wally's lips twitched into a small smile, a warm feeling spreading through his body at the praise.

The waitress placed their ice cream on their glass table, and Wally wasted no time tucking in. Soon he was half way through, whilst Barry hadn't even touched the spoon. Concern flashed through Barry, but he pushed it down, not wanting Wally to see it. He would have a talk with the Team and especially Batman about Wally's diminishing weight.

Ice cream finished, the two superheroes walked around the park, opting to sit on a bench, their backs to the sun, letting the rays warm them up.

"Wally, Iris and I have a really big surprise for you," Barry began, trying to think of how to tell the sometimes oblivious kid next to him.

"Are you going to let me stay over your house for the holiday?" Wally asked, eyes shining with happiness and hope. Wally's whole demeanour changed, something that didn't escape Barry's watchful eyes.

"Errr... Well no that wasn't it," Wally's smile dropped, his eyes losing the emotion in them. "But if you want I can see if Iris wouldn't mind you coming around." Barry hastily told him, seeing Wally distancing himself. Barry didn't want Wally to revert back into himself. He had seen Wally's dull eyes for the last few weeks, and he had wanted to put some emotions back into his jade eyes.

"Look at the time, I promised M'gann that I would help her bake cookies. Well I better go!" Wally lied, jumping off the bench and sprinting away. Barry looked on, not bothering to catch him up. Wally wanted some privacy and Barry respected that. Although he was worried about Wally's weight. He sighed, wondering what to do. Maybe he should talk to Batman, he was beginning to feel out of his depth.


	6. Chapter 6

Wally whizzed into the Cave, slowing to a stop at the kitchen. He placed his hands on his knees and tried to get his breath back. He clamped his eyes shut, trying to get rid of the spots dancing across his vision. A few minutes later, Wally stood up right, walking over to the fridge. Opening it, Wally looked scanned its contents, looking for something to eat. Spotting some snacks M'gann had made a few days earlier, he snatched the plastic container up and opened the lid and guzzled down the chocolate chip cookies. Wally walked into the living room, still eating the cookies.

"You look like you haven't had food for weeks. Have your parents not been feeding you?" Artemis' snarky voice cut through the bliss Wally was feeling. Wally looked at her. The blonde archer was sitting on the floor, pieces of paper and texts books spread out on the glass table in front of her.

"Shut up," Wally said, her comment hitting too close to home. Taking a closer look, he saw she was doing chemistry work. Wally sat next to her, on the couch. He didn't want to bend down and aggravate his wound. Artemis threw him an annoyed look over her shoulder and then carried on with the work.

"Aren't you going to go bug M'gann?" She asked, not wanting him to look at her while she was working. Chemistry wasn't her greatest subject, and while she knew that Wally was a genius at science, she wasn't going to ask him.

"Nah not really interested in it today," Wally said, not taking his eyes off Artemis' work. "You got four wrong, iron displaces zinc." Wally informed her. Artemis huffed.

"I didn't ask for your help." She told him, though she scribbled her answer out, changing it to the correct answer.

The two heroes stayed like that, Wally occasionally pointing out Artemis' mistakes, with her begrudgingly thanking him. Near to the end, Wally's stomach began to groan loudly, forcing him to rub it. Artemis looked at him in annoyance.

"Wally, go eat some food!" She ordered him, getting frustrated by the amount of noise his stomach was making. Wally looked at her, then shook his head.

"I don't really want anything," he replied. Artemis raised her brow incredulously. When has Wally ever said no to food?

"Wally your stomach is making noises. And with your enhanced metabolism, you need eat food, like every few hours," she remarked, beginning to pack everything away. She was going to make him eat, even if she had to force the food down his throat. A sudden image of Wally pale, thin and unconscious, shivering with cold, his lips blue and breathing almost non-existent, rose to her mind. She shook her head, forcefully getting rid of that disturbing sight. The Team had got to him in time, they had saved him, she didn't have to worry about it. Yet Artemis did and she knew that the rest of the Team worried about Wally's heath and weight, since the mission in Iowa which went dreadfully wrong.

Artemis stood up, pulling Wally up with his right hand as well, the movement tearing his wounds. Wally cried out in pain, his free hand coming to rest on his chest. Artemis looked at him with concern, her eyes wide.

"Wally! What's wrong?" She asked him, panic lacing her words. Wally didn't answer her, trying hard to not let the pain, and tears, show. He took a few harsh breaths, answering science questions in his mind to calm down. Once the pain became bearable, he smiled at Artemis.

"Sorry, I ran into a wall earlier today and my chest is still a bit sore." Wally lied. He could see that his female companion wasn't buying his lie though, so he quickly turned around and walked into the kitchen.

"Are you going to cook for me or not?" He called over his shoulder. Artemis looked hard at him, noticing the way his shoulders looked smaller and bonier, the way his ribs protruded through his skin. She followed him silently, deciding to talk to Robin later.

* * *

Robin walked into the Cave, letting his body take him down the right corridors and to his bedroom. He was exhausted. He had spent the last two hours with Batman, chasing the Scarecrow. He had somehow managed to escape Arkham Asylum and had fled the state. When he thought he was safe from the two, Scarecrow had released his famous Scare Gas. That had, in turn alerted Batman and Robin, making them go confront him. Which was easier said than done. Scarecrow knew the lay of the land better than the Dynamic Duo, which lead to the two hour chase, ending with Batman finally taking down the villain. By that time it was nearly midnight, so Batman had decided to drop Robin off at the Cave and take Scarecrow to Arkham on his own.

Even though it was dark, Robin knew his way around the Cave, coming to his room within minutes. He opened the door and walked in. Immediately his hand went down to his belt, his body instinctively going into a stance, his body and mind alert

"Relax, it's just me." A familiar voice said. The lamp on his bad table flicked on and illuminated Artemis. Robin sighed and relaxed his body, taking his hand away from his belt.

"Oh it's you. Can I ask why you are here?" Robin said, feeling the tension in his body fade.

"It's Wally. Something's wrong with him."


	7. Chapter 7

Robin tensed up again, whirling around to face Artemis, worry clear on his masked face.

"What's wrong with him?" He demanded. Artemis raised her hands up in a surrendering position, trying to calm him down.

"He's not hurt, well I don't think so. It's just that... well you've seen him, he's lost weight," Artemis told him. Robin sighed and rubbed his eyes. "And he keeps coming back with bruises. Robin... I think he's being abused."

"That can't be! Wally's always so full of life, laughing and joking, no way he could be going through something so awful as that! And even if he was, he would have told me by now, I'm his best friend." Robin argued. He couldn't believe Wally was going through something like that. He was the protégé of the World's Greatest Detective, he would have known if Wally was being abused.

"Think about it Robin, it all adds up, the bruises, the hunger, the lies, him not wanting to go home, last week he pretty much spent the whole time here. He's being abused and we didn't even know," Artemis yelled, loosing her cool. She took a shaky breath, sitting heavily on Robin's bed, her hands forming fists in her lap. "We've got to help him."

Robin barely heard the broken whisper. He sighed and ran his hand through his black hair. Robin walked to Artemis, sitting down next to her.

"What do we do?" He asked quietly, staring solemnly at the floor.

"We've got to tell Batman that Wally's father is abusing him," Artemis decided, staring determinedly at the wall across her. After a pause she spoke again. "I never thought he would do something as terrible as that. He seemed like such a nice guy as well."

"What are you talking about?" Robin asked confused.

"Flash. He must be abusing Wally. I never thought he would do something so cruel, he always seemed like a nice person," Artemis explained, anger flashing through her eyes.

"Artemis, Flash isn't Wally's dad. He's his uncle," Robin explained to her, slightly shocked she didn't know. He had thought Wally had told everyone he was related to the superhero he had idolised almost all his life.

"Wait, Flash isn't his dad? So he can't be abusing him then. Thank God, I liked him," Artemis sighed in relief, she had seen the way the two speedsters had acted around each other, and couldn't believe the elder one would harm Wally. After a pause, she asked a question that was on her mind. "... Who is Wally's dad?"

"I'm not sure, I ran a background check on Wally once a few years ago. I was curious to see who his mum and dad were, but there were several Wests in Central City, and I wasn't sure which one was Wally's family. He's never spoken about his parents, in fact I've never met them. Whenever we go around to each other's houses, it's normally Wally coming over to mine. I've only gone over to his twice, and both times I stayed with his uncle and aunt," Robin answered her, furrowing his eyebrows at his failure.

Artemis got up and walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" Robin asked, getting up and walking with her. He hurried alongside her as she marched along the corridors.

"I'm calling Batman and the Flash and telling them to get here as quickly as possible," she said to him firmly.

"But it's the middle of the night! They may not even be up! Shouldn't we wait till the morning and get the whole Team together?" Robin asked, pointing out flaws in Artemis' plan. The blonde archer looked at him, a fierce scowl on her face.

"We don't know how long Wally has been suffering. We don't know if hitting and slapping are the only things his father does to him. What if tonight Wally's dad does something we can't undo. We need to act on this immediately and get Wally out of danger before something even worse happens to him. He's been suffering in silence, probably for years, and I'm not going to wait another second to save him," Artemis declared the boy to her right. "Plus, Batman's Batman and you know, bats are awake at night."

The two walked in silence, entering the Communication Room. Artemis walked up to the holographic keyboard and typed in a command. On the screen, two icons of a pale blue ringing phone popped up, 'Flash' and 'Batman' underneath the pictures. Batman picked up first, a picture of his face filling up the box.

"What is so important you call me at half past twelve?" He asked, getting straight to business. Artemis swallowed, Batman's scowl sending fear through her for a second.

"We need to talk face to face. It's about Wally and it's really important," Robin answered behind Artemis, used to Batman's scowl. Batman glared at them, nodding slightly and ending the call. The icon disappeared, the screen maximising Flash's call icon. Artemis and Robin stared at it, praying for the speedster to answer. Just as they were about to lose hope, a familiar voice rang through the speakers.

"Y-Yeah? Who is it?" The Flash asked groggily, having just woken up. This time Artemis answered.

"Come as quickly as you can to the Mountain, we need to speak urgently." Artemis left no time to argue, ending the call as soon as she had finished speaking. Artemis strode over to the briefing room, watching the Cave entrance for the Justice League members.

Flash ran in first, skidding to a halt in front of the teenagers. His normally crisp suit was wrinkled, his mask sitting slightly wonky on his face, a sign at how fast he had put it on and ran to the cave. Artemis remained silent, waiting for Batman. Flash looked between Artemis and Robin, a feeling of dread in his stomach. For some reason, he knew it was about Wally.

Batman strode in a minute later, his black cape fluttering behind him. Robin could tell from one glance he was both annoyed and curious, a lethal mixture.

"And what, pray tell, was so important you had to call us out in the middle of the night?" Batman asked, his voice emotionless as always.

"It's Wally, he's being abused!" Artemis blurted it, unable to hold the truth any longer. The sentence cracked Batman's normally expressionless face, shock and disbelief flashing through. Batman opened his mouth, about to object to what Artemis had said, when Flash spoke.

"So you've picked up on it as well huh?" He sighed, taking his cowl off and running a hand through his hair. Artemis looked at him in surprise, she had never seen him with his cowl off. Even though she knew he wasn't Wally's dad, she felt shocked at how different he looked compared to Wally.

"Explain. Now." Batman demanded, glancing from Flash to the kids in front of him.

"Wally's lost weight, a lot of weight. At first I thought it because of Iowa, when he didn't have food for such a long time, but he's been like that for a while now, borderline anorexic. And on top of that, he keeps getting injured, in places that don't get harmed when we run at fast speeds. He's becoming distant," Flash explained, his eyes showing the pain he felt.

"How long has he been abused?" Batman asked, wanting as much information as possible.

"We're not sure. He's been lying for the last couple of weeks, probably even months. His form on missions has been deteriorating, rather rapidly as well," Robin supplied. Flash sighed, thinking back to when he saw Wally with a black eye. Batman shifted slightly in his direction, a silent prompt for him to speak.

"When Wally was eight, he lost his younger sister. A few months later I saw him with a massive bruise on his eye, which looked like the work of an adult. If Rudolph began to abuse him when he was eight then that would mean he's been abused for seven years." Barry told them.

"Wait, what? Wally had a sister?" Artemis practically yelled, shocked to suddenly know Wally had a younger sister. Even Robin had a shocked look on his face, and for a second, Barry swore he saw the same look dart across Batman's face.

"Yeah, didn't he tell you?" Barry asked, confusion tracing his words. He had thought Wally would have told Robin at the very least, they were best friends.

"No, he never once mentioned a sister, he's even said he was an only child," Artemis answered him, becoming aware of how much Wally had kept a secret. It was almost as if the Wally she knew was a completely different person to the Wally they were talking about right now.

"I probably shouldn't tell you this, Wally should be the one explaining it," Barry started off hesitant, but a glare from all three of them made him continue. "When he was two, his mother, Mary, became pregnant again. All the Wests were excited, but Wally was even more so, most likely because he was about to become an older brother. I remember he was always so excited, grinning all the time. When the baby finally came, he was so happy to finally meet her. They named her Kasta Lana. Mary was into Hinduism and decided to name her Joy Bringer, because of all the joy she had brought. Wally was close to his sister, he played with her, shared his toys with her and always gave her the bigger half. Time flew by and they grew up. It happened when they were six and eight. It was so sudden. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but Wally left one of his toys at the top of his stairs and when Kasta Lana came down the stairs, she tripped over his toy and fell down the stairs. She landed on her neck and broke it. She died before the ambulance got to her. After she died, the Wests ... changed. Mary stopped working at the hospital, Rudolf went to the pub more, and got drunk every night and Wally, he withdrew into himself. I think Wally blamed himself for his sister's death, as did his father."

The three superheroes listened as Barry told them about Wally's past and how he began to be abused. Artemis bit her lip, not wanting to cry. What Wally had been through must have been awful, believing he had killed his own sister. No wonder Wally never talked about his past, it was full of pain and abuse. 'Worse than mine.' Artemis thought to herself, feeling even more sorry for Wally.

"We've got to get him out of there!" Robin broke the silence, anger clear on his face. "Who knows what might happen to him, he can't stay any longer with that bastard."

"Agreed, we need to get him out of there now. Wally has been through a lot and will probably need counselling and support from us all. Barry, where does Wally live?" Batman asked, taking control.

"We're too late," Barry whispered, his hands clutching his blonde hair. "Wally told me this afternoon his dad was taking him on holiday for the whole break."


	8. Chapter 8 Part One

Batman strode past Barry and the two kids, walking to the holographic keyboard in the Communication Room and pressed a few of the keys. The three other superheroes looked at him in confusion, following him into the room.

"Erm Bats, what are you doing?" Barry asked the question on all of their minds.

"I'm tracking Wally's comm to see where he is. There is a chance he may have taken it with him," Batman explained, a blue map appearing on the screen. A few moments passed before a red dot materialized above a square. "This must be Wally's home, it's in Central City. Wally must have taken his comm out then. Flash I want you to run over to the house and see if Wally, or any other member of his family, left any clues as to where he may be now."

"Alright, I'll be as quick as possible." Barry didn't even smile at the joke, pulling his cowl back over his face and shooting out of the cave. Robin and Artemis watched him go. Batman kept clicking on the keyboard, Robin watching him.

"Are you checking for credit or debit cards?" Robin asked his mentor. Batman gave a small nod. "Don't bother. There are several Wests in Central City, we could be here for a while, especially since this isn't the computer back in the Batcave. On top of that, Wally always uses cash, I'm pretty sure so does his parents."

"Robin, what else can I do? A member of the team I am responsible for, is being abused. I have to do everything to get him back to safety. We have two options; you can either go back to Gotham and uses the computer in the Batcave, though it will probably take a few hours for you to get there, or you can help me here." Batman kept his eyes on the computer in front of him, his fingers flying over the keys. Though hard to detect, Robin could tell that Batman was tense. Silently he pressed a button on his wrist, a computer appearing and he began to type commands into it, helping Batman.

"What about me? What can I do?" Artemis asked, wanting to help as much as possible.

"I want you to go back to bed," Batman told her.

"What!?" Artemis shouted. "Why would I do that? I should be here helping to find Wally, not sleeping!"

"Artemis, you're probably feeling helpless right now and want to help, but you don't know how to use computers to track someone down, you would just get in the way. You should get some rest; tomorrow we will start a search party with the rest of the Team. You'll need as much energy as possible." Batman stopped typing and spoke directly to her. Artemis opened her mouth to disagree, but shut it with a sigh. The rational side of her brain agreed with Batman. Robin and Batman could do so much more with computers than she could, she would just get in the way. But still, she really didn't want to sit around and do nothing, it wasn't in her nature.

"I'm sleeping on the sofa, and if you get anything, wake me up immediately," Artemis compromised, walking off to the living room without waiting for Batman's reply. Robin looked at her wide eyed, amazed she stood up to his mentor like that. _Guess that's why Wally likes her so much._

"Bats, I'm in Wally's house. Nothing here that screams out where he's gone. Though I'm not as good a detective as you." Barry's voice flashed through the speakers.

"Have you tried the drawers for pamphlets promoting holidays?" Batman asked.

"Already checked. Nothing that could give us a clue to where they've gone. Although I checked the rooms. Wally's got at least a week's worth of clothes, probably more," Barry informed them.

"Check the answering machine, see if any holiday companies have contacted them recently. Afterwards try and find any bills." Batman ordered, going back to credit card details for a West family.

"Got it. I'll call again if I find anything. Flash out." The line went down, the only sound in the cave the tapping of keys.

Wally sighed and sat down on the wooden bench that stood in front of a large blue lake. Normally he would be zipping back and forth, sometimes across the water, but with the little food he had eaten, he knew he couldn't run even at the speed of an average man. Sighing once more, Wally put his head in his hand and massaged his scalp, trying to stop the oncoming headache that was fast approaching. He sat back up and looked out across the body of lake, picturing the rest of the Team with him. M'gann and Artemis would be laying near to the trees, books scattered around them whilst Conner and Dick tended to the barbeque. Kaldur would probably be in the water, back to the environment that he grew up in. Wally shook his head, dispersing the silly day dream. His friends were at the Cave, having more fun without him. They probably wouldn't even notice he was gone, in fact they probably would be celebrating.

Wally rubbed his temples, trying to get rid of the thought. He had managed to get away from his father but he wasn't sure how much longer he could stay here with the peaceful scenery. A pale hand cupped the back of his neck and the finger pads massaged the aching muscle underneath the skin. Quietly a groan left Wally's mouth. He had travelled in a small car from mid-afternoon yesterday till he got here, only stopping for a refill of petrol at a station earlier in the morning. His whole body was stiff from being in the same position for nearly a whole day and it didn't help he hadn't had any food since Artemis had cooked him a meal over twenty four hours ago..

His green eyes watched the birds sitting on the water surface. His sister had always been fascinated by them. He could still remember bringing her down with him to the lake, whilst him mother and father made a picnic or enjoyed an hour without them. Wally had always kept her safe, not letting her out of his sight or near to the water's edge in case she fell in. '_Kasta Lana. Good luck huh?'. _After her death, Wally had looked up her name. It actually meant pain bringer. Which was ironic, after she died, that was all Wally had been given. _'You're a waste of space, no one on your team wants you. You mess up all the time!'_ Rudolph's words echoed through his mind and suddenly he was transported back three months, back to Iowa, back to _that_ mission.

"It should be a simple mission. Get into the hideout, find the healing serum and get them out of there. We believe five vials of the serum were stolen over forty eight hours ago and the scientists at H.I.V.E Five are worried about what they can do to someone, they still haven't been fully tested get and could kill people instead of heal them. Your missions is to find them and get the serum off the thieves. Most likely this cave," Batman gestured to the map. "Is just a meet up point, the thieves are probably working for someone and are dropping off the serum in this location. We're not sure when exactly they will do this though, cameras have picked them up arriving for the past three days and waiting for different periods of time, to throw us off the trail. We do believe however, tonight is the night."

"It seems a little too easy. Do we know who sent them to steal the healing serums?" Robin asked, analysing the map in front of him.

"Unfortunately we're still unclear about who their employer is. Hopefully they'll tell us when you take them down, we'll interrogate them later tonight."

"We understand the mission and will prepare a full mission strategy on M'gann's Bio-Ship while we travel to the destination. One of us will report in once the mission is over," Kaldur calmly reported to the Dark Knight. Batman nodded and the Team turned around, walking out of the briefing room and to the Bio-Ship.

"So M'gann, wanna partner up?" Wally zipped over to the female martian and asked the question in a flirtatious tone. He was feeling better than ever, most likely because he had ate a big meal just fifteen minutes ago. He hadn't felt so full in, well forever.

"Erm actually Wally, I was hoping to pair up with Superboy," M'gann told him, blushing as she looked Superman's clone. "And anyway, you're probably not going to be with a partner, the plan was for you to run in and steal the stolen serums."

"Aww but babe, I get so lonely when I'm not with you," Wally tried to persuade her. M'gann just giggled and shook her head. Wally zipped over to Robin, knowing that M'gann was going to reject him from the start. Even a blind man could see her feelings towards Superboy.

"Looks like you just got rejected again KF. You must be underwhelmed." Robin smirked, teasing his best friend. Wally smiled back and elbowed him lightly.

The two were the last to board the ship, M'gann ordering it to fly out of the bay doors the moment Robin and Wally were strapped in. They flew in silence for a few minutes, until Kaldur broke the silence and asked for a map of the cave to be on projected.

"This should be a relatively straight forward mission, kind of like our first one as a team. We will attack all who are guarding the entrance, whilst Kid runs in and finds the serum and takes it off of them. This shouldn't take too long but remember Kid, the goal is to get the serums, not take out the guards. Get the serums and get out. Don't spend time taking anyone out." Kaldur gave the run down of how the mission should go, pointing to places where a member of the team would be fighting. He looked at Wally, making sure the point had gotten across to him.

"Yeah sure, I got it, take the serum not the guards. Don't worry Kaldur I'll do just that," Wally said, sliding down his seat slightly and sending a big smile to his leader.

"He's only making sure it's driven through your thick skull because the last few missions haven't gone exactly to plan, Baywatch!" Artemis snarled at him, glaring across the ship.

"Hey now, I've apologised for accidentally pushing you into the sewer at least a hundred times," Wally defended, laughing sheepishly and rubbing his neck. Artemis glared at him even more.

"I'm guessing she still hasn't forgiven you," Robin whispered into the speedster's ear. "It was kinda funny though."

"Artemis and Robin," Kaldur stressed Robin's name, regaining his attention. "Will be the furthest away from the entrance. They will use their long range skills and take out the closest guards to the entrance whilst M'gann, Superboy and I take the ones further away from the mouth of the cave. When the two positioned at the front of the cave are down, we will distract the rest, keeping them from the entrance. M'gann and I will be on the left and Superboy will be on the right, Robin and Artemis providing back up if needed.

"The moment the two guarding the hole are down you will run into the cave Kid Flash. Don't hang around and help us, you need to get in as quickly as possible. We are not sure if the cave is booby trapped and so will assume it is; there is a reasonable chance bombs will be stationed around the mouth of the cave, which may go off and seal up one of your escape routes Wally. This will help us fight the guards, the explosions will most likely be unexpected and will further confuse them. You need to study the map and know all routes in and out the cave, so spend the rest of the journey familiarising yourself with the tunnels in the cave. If you do get lost, Robin will try and guide you with Miss Martian's mental link."

Wally nodded and a miniature map appeared in front of him. For the rest of the journey, Wally kept his attention on the map, making several back up plans and trying to think which route would be the best. The conversation dulled down a bit, but Wally didn't bother trying to listen fully, putting all his concentration on the holographic map. Like Artemis had said, he had been letting the Team down and wanted desperately to do one mission successfully. He could never gain the approval of his father, but maybe making the Flash proud at how well he managed on a mission would heal the holes in his heart. He could already smell the meal Aunt Iris would make for him as a well done present.

Soon the Bio-ship landed onto the ground with a gentle thud. Kaldur was the first to stand up. Turning around, he addressed the others. "Everyone, I want you in your stealth mode costumes." Artemis, Wally and Kaldur all pressed a button on their costumes, turning their once colourful uniforms a dark grey. Miss Martian simply allowed her white top to turn black, the action captivating Wally. No matter how many times he saw it, he could never tear his eyes away. He would always wonder how she did it.

The Team disembarked, walking into the forest. A few minutes of silent walking brought them to the edge of the tree line. In front of them was the cave, guards patrolling it. M'gann and Kaldur split from the Team, heading to the left side of the cave entrance. The rest continued walking, Artemis, Kid Flash and Robin stopping once they were directly in front of the cave entrance. Superboy continued walking, eyeing the guards who were further away.

_'Mental links are all up.' _M'gann's voice gently spoke into everyone's minds. The Team waited patiently for Kaldur's sign, a 'Go' being barked from him a minute later. Immediately a green arrow and a birdarang flew across the air, hitting both the guards closest to the cave mouth. Even before they had crumpled onto the floor, Kid Flash was already running. The shouts of alarms were barely registered as Kid Flash ran across the space. He dashed into the cave, sparing a quick glance behind him. He could hear Superboy roars of anger and could just make out M'gann and Kaldur beginning to fight several armoured men. He couldn't see Artemis or Robin, the forest giving them good cover. Turning his head back, he concentrated on navigating the dark passages. He brought his red googles down over his eyes, setting them to thermal imaging. Turning the corner, he heard an explosion, the bombs scattered around the cave finally registering his arrival.

'I'm through,' he mentally told the others. Coming to a fork, he took the right one, smiling at how well he had remembered the map. He kept running, going left and right whenever it was right. Eventually he skidded to a halt in a big cavern. None of the other guards had noticed him, but he could tell they knew about his presence. Scanning the area, he found the five vials and sprinted straight to them, not bothering to take out any of the guards. With a quick "I'll be taking these!" He was gone, out of the cavern and back to the rest of the group. He smiled at himself, proud at doing his part so perfectly. He looked at the green liquid sloshing around in the test tubes, wondering if they really could heal people, his scientific brain racing with possibilits. If he hadn't had been looking at the vials, he would have seen several red blinking dots scattered along the walls. Kid Flash ran straight into the explosion, the force throwing him into the wall and scorching his costume.

Wally slowly blinked, trying to stop the ringing in his ears. With horror, he saw he was on fire. His body tried to drop and roll, but a big boulder over one of his legs stop him from rolling. With his hands he patted the flames out, relief flooding through him as the flames died down. A flicker of red caught his attention. The hungry flames were beginning to travel towards him, every second becoming dangerously closer. Wally sat up and began to push the boulder. Although not as strong as Superboy, he was strong enough to heave the boulder up enough to get his leg out. Standing up, he noticed two things. The agony that shot up his leg when he put his weight on his right foot told him he had probably broken it. The second thing he noticed was the green liquid splashed around him, glass scattered around it. With dismay he realised the vials must have broken during the explosion. His stomach fell as he became aware at how badly he had failed the mission.

Outside the others were fighting the ever dwindling amount of guards. Only three were left when the second bombs exploded. Superboy, who was closest to the cave, was thrown back tumbling to a stop near Robin.

"What was that?" Robin shouted, alarm lacing his voice.

"Is Wally okay?" Artemis cried, her eyes scanning the closed up hole, trying to find Wally. Robin placed his hand to his ear, talking to the Wally's comm.

"He's not answering is comm," Robin informed them, beginning to become rattled.

"I... I can't sense him in our mental link," M'gann said, her eyes filled with panic. By now the guards had been taken down and the Team were huddled around each other, trying to find out if the speedster was alright.

"M'gann, do you know what happened? Can you reach out and try and find him?" Robin demanded, worried for his friend.

"I'm not sure how I lost him in the first place, the only things that can break the connection is if I break the connection, someone is out of range or someone is hit on their head," M'gann told Robin. Her eyes turned green as she began to search for Wally. "I'm sorry but I can't find him, the fire is disturbing my telepathy and he may be too far away as well."

"Wally is sensible and is probably fine. We'll wait for a few minutes to see if he contacts us via his comm link. M'gann, keep your telepathy open in case he tries to reach us through that. Also, bring the Bio-ship to us, we'll wait beside it." Kaldur instantly calmed the panicked teenagers.

Back in the cave, Wally had limped his way to a wall. Leaning on it, he began to stumble away from the fire. He had smacked the cave wall hard and his head felt like it was in a vice. Spots continually danced across his blurred vision and he was feeling both dizzy and nauseous. His body was screaming in, his back ached from being smashed and every time he breathed he felt pain shoot along his ribs. The blast had burnt the uniform covering his chest away and the smell of burnt skin wafted up Wally's nose. With so many injuries, his speed healing was having trouble. Looking into his food compartment he saw no food. Berating himself for eating the bar on the journey, he struggled to a fork in the path. Wally struggled to remember which way to go, giving up when the pounding in his head became too much.

Picking the closest one to him to save him from working too much, he limped into the darkness. His googles had managed to almost completely survive the blast, with just a little crack in the left lens. Which was fortunate as Wally's left eye had swollen shut. The injured speedster twitched his top lip, trying to crack the dried blood. His right hand was covered in blood, some glass from the vial sticking out of his palm. His other hand was held tightly on his hip, trying to stop the blood. What felt like an eternity, Wally walked into something solid. Looking up fearfully, he hoped it was Superboy he had walked into, not a strong villain who would love to fight Kid Flash in the state he was in. What he saw was neither of those options. Instead it was a rock face. He was at a dead end. A high consistent beeping reached Wally's damaged ears. He whirled round in shock just as another explosion ripped through the tunnel he had walked down. Luckily he was far enough away that the explosion did not affect him but the shock wave did push him back into the rock face brutally. With the wind knocked out of his battered lungs, Wally slipped down the wall resting on the floor. His mind whirled over the explosion that had just happened. It obviously wasn't a disrupt the line and it'll blow type of bomb, otherwise it would have exploded the moment he went through the tunnel. Most likely it was either set to go off after several minutes, or someone was watching him and setting the bombs to go off. Wally shivered at the last thought.

Surveying his surroundings Wally instantly knew he was in trouble. He was stuck, injured in a blocked tunnel of a cave, with no help or food. Remembering his comm, his hand went straight to his ear. He hissed quietly in pain and checked to see if it still worked. Static was all he could hear. His head hit the wall with a dull thud and green eyes looked up into the darkness. He was stuck. His eyes closed in defeat. He could only hope and pray that the Team will find him. He felt so weak. He wanted to open his eyes, but after all he had been through, with his speed healing draining his energy away, he couldn't resist the sweet temptation of sleep.


End file.
